


What You Do To Save Me (But What Can I Do In Return?)

by ohmygoshwhatascream



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Angst, Blood, Comfort, Fluff, Hurt, M/M, Reyn is A Good Bro, description of injury, just two bros beings bros, little smooch, loving and respecting one another and just looking out for each other, nothing too graphic tho, shulk cries bc it wouldnt be a fic by me if he didn’t
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 10:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21336652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmygoshwhatascream/pseuds/ohmygoshwhatascream
Summary: In which Reyn is injured and Shulk feels like it’s his fault.
Relationships: Reyn/Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 67





	What You Do To Save Me (But What Can I Do In Return?)

**Author's Note:**

> back on my true otp bullshit. I love these boys with every inch of my being and while I may have written more for otherness ships, these two will always be my number one bros deep in my heart.
> 
> hope you enjoy xx

“Sorry Reyn.” Shulk whispers, teeth gritted as he tries to focus on the ether around him. Reyn grunts in response, eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to block out the pain shooting down his right arm. 

_Focus_, Shulk thinks. 

Brows furrowed in concentration, Shulk imagines he can see the flow of ether; bend it to his every will. 

_Heal_, he thinks as hard as he possibly can. _Heal_. 

Reyn’s wound closes somewhat, the edges of the deep cut closing and skin reforming until only little white scars peek out from the edges. 

However, the gash still runs deep, dark red blood oozing out from the torn flesh, skin still red and raw and painful where the volff’s claws hand sunk in.

Shulk tries again, squeezing his eyes shut so tight he can see stars and constellations imprinted on his eyelids. He imagines himself, once more, bending the ether to his own will. But it seems to slip right out of his grasp, the soft blue mist disappearing between his fingertips. 

He opens his eyes, teetering forward as a sudden wave of nausea hits him. Reyn is instantly there to steady him, even though the movement causes him to wince, his injury still raw and painful regardless of Shulk’s attempts to heal him. 

“Hey, careful mate. Can’t have you overdoing it.” Reyn cracks a grin, although it falters as his blood trickles down, splattering onto green grass. Dollops of red stare back at them and Shulk can feel something rising in his chest as he looks at the crimson staining Reyn’s skin.

Panic bubbles up like a spilt caldron, noxious fumes rising up in a burst of uncontrollable guilt. 

Reyn moves to stand, wrapping his arm - the one that isn’t all cut up - under Shulk’s armpits, heaving him up as though he’s weightless. Shulk doesn’t know if it was intentional, but Reyn smiles down at him as if everything is right with the world, and Shulk feels some of his panic simmer down.

Reyn’s smile seems to brighten and Shulk suddenly remembers just how well Reyn can read him. _Of course it was intentional._

“It doesn’t look pretty, but you helped a lot. We can just wrap it up and it’ll be fine.” 

“You’re sure?” Shulk asks, face unconvinced as he looks nervously at Reyn’s blood-soaked arm. “It looks worse than it actually is.” Reyn laughs, trying to reassure him. Shulk usually finds his laugh contagious, but he can’t bring himself to join in. He still feels like all of this is his fault.

“Hey, _Shulk_. Look at me. I’m fine. I can handle much more than this!” Reyn tousles his hair, a gesture that he’s been doing ever since puberty hit him like a truck and he grew, like, _eight feet_. Shulk pouts up at him, still concerned.

“Shulk. _Mate_. It’s fine. Look, I’ll go an’ wash it up an’ you’ll see it’s _nothing_ to worry about!” Reyn waves Shulk’s flittering hands away, rolling his eyes as Shulk dithers about, brows furrowed in thought. 

“I’ll help you.” Shulk announces, folding his arms defiantly across his chest. Reyn squints up at him, confused. “_I’ll_ wash it off and _I’ll_ decide if it’s something to worry about or not.” 

Reyn laughs again, despite Shulk’s serious expression. “Okay, mate. Come on then.” 

The two make their way over the grassy fields of Gaur Plains, heading towards the small cove of water they had found earlier whilst hunting for ponio. Shulk positions himself so close to Reyn it’s as if he’s a shadow, attached to his hip and never letting go. His hands fiddle nervously in midair and Reyn can feel the intensity of Shulk’s gaze burning against the bloodied wound on his arm.

“Seriously mate. I’ve survived worse than this. You know me, solid as rock! Think I can’t handle a scratch like this?” Shulk shakes his head. “That’s not it Reyn and you know it.” 

Reyn looks down at him, his brow scrunched as he frowns. “I thought I was supposed to be the dumb one.” He breathes out in a weightless sigh, honeyed eyes darkened with something somber. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Shulk snaps, instantly on the defence. It’s uncharacteristic for him to be so… _sharp_, but his nerves are frazzled and he’s tired and stressed and _he just wants to sleep. _

“You’re upset because you think it’s _your_ fault.” Reyn states, plain and simple and honest, like he always is. Shulk turns away, teeth tugging on his lower lip. “It _was_ my fault.” Shulk grits out, trying to stop his voice from wavering. He’s supposed to be strong. _Why does he feel so weak?_

“If I had been paying more attention… you wouldn’t have had to jump in front of me like that. I’m the reason that volff attacked you._ It’s my fault.”_

Reyn puffs out air through his nose, pursing his lips and tightening his fists. “Right. Okay.” He pauses, eyes flickering as he thinks of what to say next. “Look, lets just get to the spring, you can clean my arm and see how it’s not that bad and then I’m gonna tell you why you’re wrong.” 

Reyn stomps ahead and Shulk can see his anger in the rigid line of his spine. 

The rest of the journey continues in silence. 

It’s only a few minutes, but Shulk feels as if the quiet goes on forever. He knows that Reyn absolutely hates how Shulk blames himself for everything and he knows that Reyn isn’t actually angry with him, just angry at his own insecurities, but Shulk cannot see how Reyn’s injury is anything other than his fault. 

The spring rises to view, clear water twinkling like diamonds in the sunlight. Reyn quickens his pace and Shulk has to jog to keep up. He’s holding his injured arm strangely and Shulk can see the congealed blood, thick and brown and crusted, surrounding the wound. 

Shulk feels another pang of guilt. Reyn’s obviously pretending the injury is less painful than it is, all for Shulk’s own benefit. He knows that Shulk blames himself, so he’s trying to make it seem like just a scratch, just to lessen Shulk’s spiral of guilt.

Reyn reaches the spring’s edge, before lowering himself down, water lapping at his leather boots. Shulk hovers next to him, kneeling down closer, hands reaching just above the bloodied mess of Reyn’s bicep. 

“Hey, Shulk. I’m sorry, man.” Shulk glances up into Reyn’s, shifting under the intensity of his stare. “No, it’s fine. I just- I think-“ Shulk stammers, words failing him as he tries to put his thoughts into coherent sentences. He splutters, nervously looking away as he leans over to the spring, cupping water into his hands. Reyn’s looking at him still and Shulk feels his throat close up, tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. 

He hates crying. He hates looking weak, especially now. He’s the wielder of the Monado, he’s not supposed to be weak. He needs to be strong, powerful. He’s supposed to protect the ones dearest to him, he’s supposed to make sure nobody he loves gets hurt ever again. 

_He can’t even do that right. _

He gently scrubs away some of the dried blood from Reyn’s arm, watching how the water trickles down pink as it disappears from against his skin. He sniffs, furiously trying to blink back his tears. 

Reyn exhales and Shulk can see the way he shifts against the ground, even if he won’t look back up to Reyn’s eyes. 

“You know I’m not angry at you, right?” Reyn says. There’s a softness lingering in his voice that makes something warm blossom in Shulk’s chest. He can feel his face burning as he focuses on washing away the blood coating Reyn’s arm. 

“Yeah.” He whispers in reply, so soft it’s almost lost under the sound of trickling water and rustling wind. 

“I’m angry because it’s not your fault. You… you always blame yourself for everything!”

Shulk jerks his hand, spluttering out apologies as Reyn hisses, pulling away. “Sorry, _sorry_! I’m- I’m not good at this. I-“ 

“It’s fine.” Reyn cuts him off. “You were doing great. I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” Shulk dithers again, before cautiously pouring more water on the wound. Scrubbing as gently as he possibly can, he removes the rest of the blood and dirt from the gash.

He can feel Reyn’s eyes on him. 

“It’s not your fault I got injured. No matter what your brain is telling you!” 

Shulk pauses to inspect Reyn’s arm, now completely free of blood so only the deep cut remains. Reyn was right. The cut really wasn’t as bad as Shulk had been thinking, but it still looks painful.

Shulk’s throat feels blocked again. 

“You need to stop thinking so much! It ain’t good for you!” Reyn says. It’s something he’s said before, something usually followed by a cheery laugh and an encouraging arm around the shoulders. But there’s no laugh this time. No cheer. Reyn is serious. 

“I worry about you, man. I did before and I still do now.” 

Reyn swallows deeply.

“You’re _weak_. An’ that sounds bad, but I mean… you’re not a fighter, right? You’re not used to all of… _this_.” Reyn gestures around him, wincing slightly as he jostles his arm. “I know you’ve got the Monado now, but that doesn’t mean you’re any different.”

He pauses temporarily as he rummages around his back, carelessly tossing a roll of loosely wrapped bandages and an anti-bacterial of some sort, an on-the-road mix of alcohol and plant-based materials. 

“You’re still _Shulk_, y’know? You’re still the same guy who was too scared to climb to the top of the trees and the one who I had to carry back from the lab every night.” 

He continues to speak, only pausing for a breath, as he gestures for Shulk to use the alcohol. 

“You’re not any different.” 

He hisses as Shulk disinfects the wound, the alcohol stinging sharp. 

“That volff attacked me because I jumped in front of it. It’s not your fault. I _chose_ to get hit because I’d rather me be in pain than you.” 

Shulk can feel his face burning as he unwraps the bandages, his trembling hands carefully reaching around Reyn’s bicep. 

“I promised Fiora I’d look after you. An’… I promised myself I’d never let anything happen to you.”

Shulk feels tears burn the back of his eyes as he finishes dressing Reyn’s wound. He finishes wrapping it, hands trembling as he makes sure it’s not too tight.

“You’re… my best friend, Shulk. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”

Shulk’s hands linger on Reyn’s bicep and his lower lip trembles. 

“I dunno how hard it is for you right now, findin’ out you’re the wielder of the Monado an’ stuff. It’s gotta be difficult. But you don’t have to carry this alone!”

Reyn’s hand comes to rest on one of Shulk’s shoulders, his fingers brushing ever so slightly against Shulk’s cheek. 

“We’re in this together. Me and you. So don’t go hiding all your problems!”

Reyn shifts his hand so it gently cups Shulk’s face. He can feel the warmth of fingertips smooth against his jaw. With a gentle push from Reyn, Shulk turns his eyes up.

Reyn gazes at him, eyes soft and smile so warm and safe.

The damn breaks. Shulk sniffles, blinks as hard as he can, chews on his bottom lip. 

With a sob, he flings his arms around Reyn’s neck. Instantly, Reyn is there to support him. 

Mindless comforts, words that are whispered into soft hair and messages tapped against soft skin. Reyn holds him, wrapping Shulk in his strong arms.

He cries until his throat grows hoarse. Weeks of stress, of pain, of anxiety, all crashing down in one moment. 

He cries until his tears run out and his skin itches where his tears have begun to dry. He stops crying and Reyn is still there, large hands against his shoulders and breath warm against his skin.

He stops, lifts his head from Reyn’s shoulder. 

He takes him in, tanned skin and scruffy hair and honeyed eyes warmer than the shimmer of sunlight. Shulk takes in the sight of his closest friend, the person who had stood beside him through thick and thin.

The person who he felt he didn’t deserve, not one bit.

But when Reyn’s eyes flicker towards his lips and he mumbles out a halfhearted apology, Shulk does nothing to stop the push of his lips against his. 


End file.
